ALFAGTV6.COM

Barry · Post by **Barry** » Sun Aug 26, 2007 7:07 am

Are we all now looking for a boogie man? Its a big uncertainty not knowing this actual cause..

John,Every component was brand new..You and I both know you do not chance a good used component on these engines..It WILL at some stage come back and bite you in the butt..

Zman,just looked at the belt here,its a genuine Alfa Lancia component..No branding but for Lancia/Alfa.

Ben,Agree on the forces turning the cams..What makes it easier still is the fact that there is continual contact on different lobes all the time,so there is no "shuddering" but a smooth turning moment all the time..The biggest jolt on the belt probably comes from standing still to getting into motion..

Im also lening towards a bad belt here..Lokking at it now,I see little blisters all along between the teeth developing..This thing is realy delaminating...

Kev,Use an inspection mirror and check your belt..

John,I can live with 30 000 miles..thats 50k Km,s..This one has not seen 10k Km,s yet..

Post by **Zamani** » Sun Aug 26, 2007 8:35 am

Looks like there is no other way other than inspecting the belt every 2-3K km. Not just quick visual inspection, but visual inspection of the whole length of the belt by rotating the engine by hand.

Barry · Post by **Barry** » Sun Aug 26, 2007 10:38 am

Zman,Everyone that knows me knows Im an old woman when it comes to a new engine..I saw Fernando,the bonnet is up and Im checking everything,tensions,oil level,water..anything I can..I even start the engine and check pressures..every time he came round to my place or I saw himat the track..

This one got by me,but not again..

John,The Maserati belt was a Gates item packed in some German after market package..but as I said before,belts these days are damn good..

Post by **Zamani** » Sun Aug 26, 2007 1:13 pm

Sorry Baz, didn't mean to say you didn't perform due diligence. That was more of a general post. I seldom ever check my belts if they don't reach 15K km.

Barry · Post by **Barry** » Sun Aug 26, 2007 8:13 pm

Zamani wrote:Sorry Baz, didn't mean to say you didn't perform due diligence. That was more of a general post. I seldom ever check my belts if they don't reach 15K km.

No no..Did not imply anything..what I'm saying is your correct even though I checked this damn thing often ,I did not pick this up at all.
So yes,your comment is very pertinent here..I will be checking these with an inspection mirror often as well..

Its just got me flummoxed..

Fernando · Post by **Fernando** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 12:08 am

Guy's can confirm I was in peak hour traffic when a small gap opened up as I entered the Buccleauh Interchange heading towards Rivonia.RPMS WERE somewhere between 3 and 4000 as I had just checked the rev counter.Next thing I hear this horrid sound from the exhaust but saw no smoke.Then I felt the motor lose power and veered off into the emergency lane.As Barry say's it's a weird way for my poor engine to have expired.

Anyway Barry will keep us posted with the results of said belt failure.

kevin · Post by **kevin** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 12:53 pm

Barry, I was at my friends (Hennie) Alfa garage and he said that two years ago he had two belts that sheared. One was on a 164 after 8000km and the other on a 156 which they happen to notice during and inspection. These belts came from Mc C..... and authorised agent and were in the Alfa packaging. No questions were asked and the belts were replaced however as he is a private dealer he was given no compensation the motors. I suggest you should give him a call. He turns around an average of ten 24v v6 services a week and has not had any failures since then. I think he seems to know more about that batch of belts than he is letting on at the moment.(does not want to diss any dealers stock).

junglejustice · Post by **junglejustice** » Sun Sep 02, 2007 5:20 pm

Just sold an extra 24 valve 164 LS (Super) that I have here and decided (together with the buyer) that it was probably best to do the belts etc. (PO stated that it had been done 10-15K miles before, but still...)

Mileage according to paper-work in the files reflects 24K miles! Belt still has the Alfa Romeo script logos on the outside..

kevin · Post by **kevin** » Sun Sep 02, 2007 9:47 pm

I have noticed that some belts apear to be laminated with nylon in between while others look like one uniform rubber. Have any of you picked this up.

Fernando · Post by **Fernando** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 5:58 am

Just to keep you guys up to speed,Barry phoned to tell me I achieved another dubious first...I bent 18 valves.

Anyway the heads should have there new valves pretty soon.

Can tell you one thing,belt inspection is going to be a part of my standard fluid and pipes check each week from now on.

rz · Post by rz » Thu Sep 06, 2007 10:19 am

18 valves

that is bad news!!
sorry to hear it

ar4me · Post by **ar4me** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 12:53 pm

But, only head damage - that is good news - always look at the bright side of life...

Jes

MD · Post by MD » Thu Sep 06, 2007 1:23 pm

...one the bright side of life..that's 18 bent valves being repaired by one bent mechanic, haahaa.

Just seeing if you're awake Bazza !!

Fernando · Post by **Fernando** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 11:14 pm

Oh believe you me I know I got off lucky.

Barry and I were speaking about that a short while ago.I would have had mega grief on my hands if I was running at max revs...

The night I towed it to poor Barry's place I nearly had a heart attack when he first thought I might have snapped the crank,so bent valves I could live with.

When he thought crank I felt my mouth dry up in two seconds flat and all blood drain from my head...

Fernando · Post by **Fernando** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 11:49 pm

Great news I have my baby back and purring ever so sweetly.

Barry took the opportunity to sort out a few issues with the mapping on the Gotech system at the same time.Weird thing is it's changed the sound of the car completely...but in a good way.It sounds much deeper now.

Unfortunatly no pics of the bent valves.

Interesting little find today!